Rare Books

12:00PM 3 Abbey Street, Newton, Auckland

COVID-19 UPDATE:

Art+Object’s Rare Books Auction, which was scheduled to be held on Wednesday 18 August, will now be conducted online only. The auction is live now here, and will close on Monday 11 October from 12noon. Bidding will be via our personalised app (which can be downloaded via the App Store or Google Play), or via our desktop platform at live.artandobject.co.nz.

If you have already registered absentee bids, these will be automatically added to the online auction. A member of our team will contact you soon with more details.

If you would like assistance with bidding at the auction, please feel free to contact us: info@artandobject.co.nz | 09 354 4646

This sale features over 450 lots covering a diverse and eclectic group of books, maps, photographs and documents.

Of major importance are a number of paintings by Charles Blomfield relating to the thermal area of New Zealand including the Pink and White Terraces; a rare pre-treaty land conveyance document with the moko signatures of Maori chiefs; maps and charts including Cook’s Chart of New Zealand engraved by J. Bayley 1772; Walter Lawry Buller’s ‘A history of the birds of New Zealand’ London 1873, first edition; a rare copy of the first edition of ‘The Wakatipians’ by Alfred, H. Duncan London 1888; a large selection of New Zealand literature books and original manuscripts from Hone Tuwhare, James K. Baxter and signed works by Janet Frame.

We are also privileged to be offering the library of book artist Elizabeth Steiner, founder of the Steiner Press (1992–2008), which includes an impressive selection of International artist’s books and Private Press. A highlight of the sale is a beautiful and fine copy of Katherine Mansfield’s ‘The Aloe’ London 1930 from the library of John Middleton Murry and a rare copy of the first edition of ‘Bliss’. Several first editions by Eric Gill including ‘Canticum Canticorum Salomonis’, Weimar: Cranach Presse 1931, ‘Engravings 1928-33’, London 1934, along with Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Happy Prince’ London 1888, and manuscript cookery books from the 18th century.

Other major components of the catalogue are collections of maritime, Antarctic, children’s books, as well as a collection of mountaineering posters and First day Covers signed by Edmund Hillary and other international mountaineers.